Playing bass like a bass, not a guitar

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by nightchef

That’s fine for some styles and situations, but it’s a pretty narrow brief.

Get it down, and then you can ignore it.

[standup]

I’m a bass player first, came to guitar later.

One bass player who blew me away long ago was seeing Oteil Burbridge with Aquqrium Rescue Unit. He’s solid, he grooves, but his lines were also just soaring melodically.

Haven’t heard him lately, but I’d bet he’s even better now.

[merlin666]

I haven't read all posts but was Chris Squire mentioned? I was just listening to some Yes albums studio and live and the bass lines are amazing. I think all my favourite bass players used picks.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by standup

I’m a bass player first, came to guitar later.

One bass player who blew me away long ago was seeing Oteil Burbridge with Aquqrium Rescue Unit. He’s solid, he grooves, but his lines were also just soaring melodically.

Haven’t heard him lately, but I’d bet he’s even better now.

Otell is nothing short of "pure bass pleasure" when he's playing with Dead and Company.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by merlin666

I haven't read all posts but was Chris Squire mentioned? I was just listening to some Yes albums studio and live and the bass lines are amazing. I think all my favourite bass players used picks.

Roundabout post #11 on page 1 and every page thereafter.

[CarolinaGetaway]

Playing Like James Jameson series of books will get you there.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

There are many ways to approach a bassline. Listen to the music you like and zone in on the bass player.

[frankmcr]

The isolated tracks clips on youtube are very educational.

Here he is playing what probably most people would think of as "a bass part".



And then there's this, where it's almost like he's just noodling



but in context it fits and supports the song perfectly

[hopdemon]

The best advice I ever got was when I went to see the Funk Bros years ago. Ralph Armstrong was filling in for an ill Bob Babbit. After playing a smoking set he amazed me with his playing,I got a chance to talk with him between sets and his advice to me was.. All you got to do is play 2 notes, just play them FUNKY.He then proceeded to play the bass line for Pappa was a rolling Stone ..pretty much 2 notes but extremely funky.A lesson I've always kept in mind when I play.......BE FUNKY

[Br1ck]

I think you either get the concept or you don't, which is simple or complex, your job is rhythm. If you listen to the Beatles live BBC recordings, Paul sticks to rock and roll basics, but throws in notes here and there that are uniquely his. It could be something as simple as approaching a root note from above instead of below.

The best bass track according to me, is on Something. It is a masterpiece. Grooves and is melodic all at once. And sure, James Jameson, Carol Kay and others did it too, but it was always part of the drums/bass groove. If you listen to so many hits, it is what is not played that has importance. This is the basic guitarist as bassist mistake.

[zuzu]

I think recording bass and live bass are two different things. Recorded bass, if it remains precise, can get away with being a bit busier than live bass, because whatever you do only travels a few feet (usually) before the listener hears it. The slower bass frequencies don't fall as far behind the faster mids and highs as when you play live and the bass is projecting out 50-100-500 feet. Fancy little bass moves become blurred in the listener's ear at distance, because the wave is so far behind the rest of the music. Entwistle had enough treble in his tone for this to not be an issue for him, probably because he well knew he needed it to get his sound out in arenas, etc.. But not all music can be or should be played with his tone or style.

Have at it in the studio, just keep it tight. But live, stick with the groove and when you do a move, make it big and distinct. Guitar players often don't have this insight and some bass players also. I actually learned more about bass sound running FOH sound than I did playing it on stage. My 2 cents...

[nostatic]

The great bass players achieve that status usually because of the notes they *don't* play.

Then again, you can play a lot of notes if they are the right ones in the right places. A youngish Anthony Jackson killing it with Michel Camilo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZOCdrwGch4

This guy nails it - complete with transcription of the whole thing (studio version of the song). Whole clinic on swing, groove, voice leading and great chops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lf-gxA-rBg

[Matthew Sarad]

When Brad, a great bassist, decided to play guitar with Slim the Drifter, I was asked to play bass.Brad and I were in a power trio at the time. He had a Tele already and loaned me his G&L.
Slim wanted the basic root notes and nothing fancy.
That's what I did. Now, when I sit in on bass at jams, I keep it simple and support the song.

[Mandobart]

Bass guitar player back in the 70's and 80's, then let it go for several reasons.

Started playing upright bass in January this year. If you want to play a bass like a real bass and not like a guitar, play upright bass.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

...If you want to play a bass like a real bass and not like a guitar, play upright bass.

Yes and no - James Jamerson played both with equal proficiency, and even his most intricate electric lines unquestionably sounded like "bass"...

Having played upright myself in high school (well before I got into "serious" bass playing) I would be more inclined to view upright as either a prerequisite or corequisite to electric - in my own case it allowed me to build the necessary rhythmic feel, learn how to play in a supporting role (and rein in the jazz and rock guitar chops I had acquired early on), and develop the right/left-hand strength to give the lines that Jamerson-style punch (to this day I use the heaviest strings my instruments will handle). That said, there's a definite place for virtuoso guitar-influenced technical chops, when the need arises to fill sonic space in a small ensemble: much like the cello crosses over into viola (and sometimes violin) territory to offer melodic/harmonic support in a string quartet, a creative bass player can overlap the guitar register to take advantage of its distinctive rich timbre - an approach the aforementioned John Stockfish and the late Tom Rowe of Schooner Fare both used to great effect in an acoustic setting...